Toward Kingdom Hearts
by val'tanelle
Summary: At Twilight Town, Sora’s 14th birthday marks the day he leaves for the adulthood exam. When he fails, Organization 13 saves him…and changes his destiny no longer as a human, but as a Nobody. Homage to Toward The Terra. PS. Not yaoi TEMP HIATUS


**Toward Kingdom Hearts  
By Himig**

**Summary:** At Twilight Town, Sora's 14th birthday marks the day he leaves for the adulthood exam. When he fails, Organization 13 saves him…and changes his destiny no longer as a human, but as a Nobody. Homage to Toward The Terra.

**Author's Notes:** Homage to Toward The Terra. Watch it in clip .vn (remove space).

As homage, I even changed the title sequence!

After finishing the chapter: uh…this turned out less dramatic…me like!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts and I acknowledge Toward The Terra for any similarities (which you WILL find…scratch that, this is based on Terra E but KH universe). I cut some scenes since I didn't want things to be too long.

**Warning:** Authoress demands you to WATCH Toward The Terra or READ AND REVIEW (preferably…BOTH)

* * *

**Toward Kingdom Hearts –**_  
A tribute to Toward The Terra_

_**Chapter I: Awakening Day**_  
"_One day, a young man was standing  
In the middle of the town, proclaiming  
That he had the most beautiful heart"_  
"_I've been having these weird thoughts lately_"

* * *

He was again in a white corridor. He knew he was dreaming. He was aware of it. He was in his blue pajamas, he walked bear-footed, and, strangest of all, he was a ghost.

Everything around him looked so real, yet he couldn't touch any of it. It was a dream, a very strange dream. It's as if…he was the dream and everything around him was the real one.

Still, he was cautious when he walked. The corridors all looked the same – _white_, a blinding color of white. He walked almost aimlessly until he heard footsteps. It was the first time he heard someone. The dream has always been about the white corridor.

Sora's heart started beating. What irony is that? A 'ghost' with a nervously beating heart?

The footsteps became louder and it dawned to Sora it came from behind. He whirled around, panicking where he should hide. Before he could reintroduce his palm to his head (he's a ghost, that's established!), the figure walked past by him. Sora may or may not have seen this young man before.

Sora may have seen him because he was familiar, as if he were connected to this guy.

Sora may have _not_ seen him before because he totally has no idea who he was.

The said young man was wearing a black cloak (and probably a shirt underneath?), enough to really stand up in all this strange whiteness. On his shoulders though was a long, blue billowing cape that he elegantly walked through with majesty.

Sora swallowed and followed the young man. He didn't look strange or suspicious, aside from the cloak and the cape. He was only few years older than Sora (judging by the looks) and had this blond, spiky hair that looked perfectly well for an average teenager. Sora felt his hair, spiky in its own sense. He can totally relate.

After what seems like an eternity of walking, Sora slowly appreciated just how fortunate he was to come across the young man because the hallway is part of a huge _castle_. They were a lot of mechanisms here and there that made it to this and that (never paid attention to science). If he hadn't encountered the young man, he would've been lost…again.

They reached to a room, which was white (SURPRISE) but this time there were furniture, though limited in the rectangular room. Moreover, the walls were decorated with papers scribbled with colored pens. The harder Sora looked at them, the more he realized they were drawings, but couldn't make it out (never paid attention to art either).

"Have you seen the future again, Namine?"

Sora backed away immediately to make space when the young man simply walked through him and felt the papers on the wall. Sora looked at the person addressed and finally noticed a young girl sat on one end of the rectangular table. Sora's knees suddenly fell weak and a heavy guilt was poured on him when he saw the girl's beautiful face scarred with concern.

Sora glanced at the young man beside him, wondering why he'd respond. To his surprise and admiration, he was firm and resolute, unaffected by the adorable face ready to burst into tears.

That, or he was a really big jerk.

"We're approaching a crucial point." Namine said softly, closing a sketchpad and looking up.

It was easy to notice that Namine's face and posture changed; she changed her original statement.

The young man noticed the sketchpad and knew he was right.

"Something…powerful is about to change our future-"

"Namine, stop."

Namine was startled at the hint of impatience at the young man's voice. The guilty man looked away.

"I don't need premonitions. We can't keep hiding, drifting into space. When will we finally reach Kingdom Hearts?!"

There was silence. Namine locked her fingers and rested them on top of the table.

"I'm…sorry, I didn't mean to."

Namine smiled slightly. "It's okay. You've got…a lot of things in your mind."

The young man sat on the other side of the table, now seated across Namine.

"My heart won't last long," he contemplated aloud. "The space is too full of darkness. And the Keyblade requires so much light. Even I…after ten years…the Nobody with incomplete hearts…"

The young man hunched forward and began shaking violently. His shoulders jumped in every hard cough and his hands struggled to suppress his chest unsuccessfully.

"Ventus!" Namine cried out, rising from the chair.

"Namine," he croaked weakly, gasping for breaths. "I need someone to inherit my memories. When that happens…"

Ventus slipped right out of the chair and collapsed on the white floor. The perfectly white marble floor was stained with something red and Sora, despite his want to help, felt pain piercing in his head as Namine kept crying out the name 'Ventus'.

"_Is any of this real…or not?"_

"STOP!"

Beep.

…Beep. Beep.

…_bam_.

"Ow…" the boy whined, crashing straight on the floor. The new alarm clock startled him. Even though it goes like, 'beep, beep', he still lacked the immunity for it. Sora yawned heavily as he painfully stood up, feeling his backbone broke. He stretched his arms and began walking like a zombie, crashing to his desk.

The said desk had a lot of precious things on top, precious kid stuff Sora wasted his allowance on (plus a week of suffering and starvation). Hey, the digital-aquarium holograph lamp is cool. The giant paopu star stand was also very cool. And he actually has no idea why he bought the moai Easter Island tissue case, but the tissue comes out from its nose. It's funny because of the irony. Sure, Olette said it was gross, but she's a girl. What does she know?

"Sora, breakfast!"

"Coming!" Sora wore his pair of socks and put on his pants, while skipping to where his shoes were. It looked like he was prancing around, but Sora kept his items hidden in the mess. He knows exactly where they are, so he knows when someone cleans his room.

Sora went to the bathroom. Being an only child rocks; he shares the bathroom with no one. Sora went to the sink, pushed the rubber to the sinkhole and turned the faucet on, letting water rise on the round basin. He looked at himself to the mirror and made himself frown.

"Stupid dream again," he muttered. He turned the faucet off when the sink was half-full and began washing his face. He dumped his whole face onto the sink and blew bubbles through his nose.

One…two…three…seven…

"Bwah!" His half-wet spiky hair sprinkled water droplets into the air. His mouth was as large as a ball, gasping for breath. Sora stared at the surface of the water, thinking it was the salty beach he and his friends gone to, and that underwater time was the time to pull Pence's shorts down and poke Olette at her waist to make her sensitive of her weight.

It was the last time they could possibly have gone to the beach. He should be happy, but somehow, he couldn't.

His parents were talking about it since last week. "Sora, it's that time next week", "Sora, next week's the big day!", "Sora, you're turning fourteen next week!". They were happy for him.

When he went downstairs to eat, his dad was about to leave. His mother served him a warm mug of chocolate milk. "Thanks, Mom," he said, jumping to his chair and throwing food from the plate to his mouth like magic.

"Sora, spend the day wisely," his dad said with a reserved smile, patting him on the back. "Tomorrow's the big day."

"Dear, be sure to come home early," Sora's mom said, taking off her apron. "We need to celebrate Sora's adulthood exam."

"Yea," he said, nodding. The two had shared a swift kiss before the man of the house left for work.

"Sora, you'll be late for school," his kind mother told him. His mother's face blanched to a weak smile. "Again."

Sora innocently blinked at his mother, drinking the hot mug in one shot. "Ahh…no worries, I'm taking my board. See ya, mom!"

His mom could only shake her head. "I love you, Sora!"

Sora blushed. He just responded, waving with his hand as he grabbed his backpack and skateboard and went off to school.

* * *

Sora was on his way to school with his board when he saw a familiar figure. He smirked and swiftly rode past his friend.

"Sora, skateboarding's not allowed!" Pence shouted.

"Not when you're late for school! And maybe…" Sora smiled mischievously, catching Selphie in a skirt. "…for this!" Just like the old days, Sora raised the girl's skirt, not really intending to look as his skateboard flew by. He could hear Selphie cursing and the boys who were fortunately behind her at that time shouting, "It's green, green! (Another student: I was right, pay up!)"

Sora felt he just achieved gold medal. Later at lunch he gladly accepted a challenge for a Struggle game. He fought with a grin all throughout, whacking (and getting whacked) his opponent while the crowd cheered for him. Then by accident, when he swung that arm of his, he lost grip of the weapon and it flew right to a window.

Hopefully, it wasn't the faculty office.

* * *

"Sora, tomorrow's your adulthood exam, and you play a game during lunch _and_ broke my window?"

Scratch that, hopefully it wasn't the principal's office. Guess what, it was.

Sora sighed, scratching his head boyishly. "I know…sorry…" he hid a grin. He was quite annoyed they wouldn't give him a break since this was his last day at school, but even getting scolded at was part of his treasured memories (part of his daily routine, in short).

The principal sighed. "Well then, off to your classroom. You've got to say goodbye to your classmates."

When indeed Sora stood in front of his class, seeing Olette and Pence smiling at him warmly, Selphie sticking his tongue at him, Tidus trying his best not to cry, he felt only to say one thing.

"Everyone, I ask only one thing…never let them fix the principal's office's window!"

Sora's advisory teacher sighed, shaking her head, and the students exploded in laughter and cheering.

Sora silently patted himself in the shoulder.

* * *

Twilight Town was called as such because of how brilliant the sunset was. The students were leaving. Tomorrow, back to the school again. For Sora, it was his adulthood exam.

He walked with Olette and Pence until they reached the sandlot. They sat on the bench quietly, waiting for the giant clocktower to ring and signal their dispersal.

"So this is it," Pence said forlornly. "We're all growing up."

"Don't be so sad!" Sora said the optimist as ever. He didn't want them crying on his leave, too. "I…"

But then he found himself teary-eyed, too, despite himself. Sora and Pence looked at each other with stunned looks, all bewildered at the tears in each other's eyes.

"You're crying!" they shouted, hiding their faces in shame and in embarrassment (and in sickness and in health…).

Olette sighed, sitting in between them and patting the crying boys on the back. "Here, sea-salt ice cream to cheer you two up."

"Thanks," the two boys said, accepting a popsicle and sniffing simultaneously.

"You know, I had that dream again…I wonder if it has something to do with my adulthood exam."

Sora looked at the clocktower, playing with his imagination at how cool it would be to be there and watch the sunset, than watch time go by through the hands of the clock.

"Kingdom Hearts…I wonder what it is."

"It's probably a premonition," Pence said sagely.

"Don't worry much about it, Sora. It would be fun to be an adult. No more homeworks, right?" Olette said, winking at Sora.

Sora grinned. "Yea. No more stupid homeworks."

Sora's eyes softened as he found warm tears forming at the edges, starring at the hands of the clock, nearing 6 o'clock. The ice cream in his mouth began melting and the salty sweetness disappeared.

Olette gave Sora a kiss on the cheek. Olette have hugged him and Pence, but this was the first time she did a kiss. Pence pretended to be jealous, but Olette said she'll give him one on his adulthood exam. Sora can't help but blush; he never had girls kissing him. Olette just giggled and left.

Sora waited for Pence to say something. He sure felt he was.

"Well, I guess it's time for my gift," he said. Sora was confused for a moment; the kiss was a gift?

"Here."

Sora saw a rather familiar band from Pence's hand. He accepted it and read the letters on the band. His eyes widened as the letters read 'Destiny Islands'.

"Holy…Pence, this is…a VIP pass to Destiny Island!" Sora exclaimed, holding his breath. "How did you get this ticket…?"

Pence haughtily crossed his arms. "Selling things online…buying things online…same stuff."

"Pence…"

"Geez, don't cry now, man!"

Sora slapped his cheeks lightly. "Sorry."

Destiny Islands…the beach full of memories, Sora's precious memories.

"Pence, I'll never forget this…you and Olette."

"Of course, and we won't forget you, too, Sora"

* * *

Sora came home quite late, but he wasn't caught out of curfew. His mom might scold him, but that's nothing new.

"I'm home!"

Sora stopped, looking around. "_There's something weird…_" His nose then caught something and saw that the table was full of food. "Wow…"

Sora finally saw his mom who was on the phone. She just hung up.

"Mom, who was that just now?"

His mom smiled weakly. She looked pale. "Your dad's going to be late."

"Did something happen?"

"No, nothing…" she tried to smile. Sora frowned. His mom was acting weird.

"Imma gonna take a bath," Sora said playfully, grinning to his mom.

"Uh…" his mom nodded. When Sora disappeared upstairs, she whirled around, her fingers shaking nervously. Several men in navy suit stepped out of the shadows. The leader looked upstairs to check if Sora were gone.

"The bathroom's next to the master room?"

"Yes…is this really necessary?" she asked. "Is he going to be…?"

The main raised a hand to silence her. "It's a pre-cautionary measure. I can't believe we're going to do a Heart inspection before the adulthood exam, though…"

After a few minutes of silence, a word came from one of the men.

"Sir, Sora's unconscious."

The mother's heart skipped a beat. She heard footsteps coming downstairs and gasped, seeing Sora carried by two men. Her son was half-naked!

"Wait, at least get him dressed!" The dedicated mother pulled out the clothes she wanted to give to her son after dinner, but the leader of the group stopped her.

"Ma'm, don't get too close to your son. The system had children under random foster parents for equality."

Sadness swept the mother's face. The door burst open and she saw her husband, alarmed.

"Sora, Sakura?" He had seen the van outside and was concerned.

"Dear…" Sakura embraced her husband. "They're taking Sora away!"

"What?" the man looked at the men for answers and saw Sora carried away. "What are you going to do to our son?" he demanded, remaining calm.

"A Heart inspection, sir."

"But tomorrow is his adulthood exam!"

"We'll contact you again immediately. The Claymores under the MCP is doing this for everyone's safety, including your son's."

* * *

"Connection with Heartless EFGXB2-09117247, confirmed."

"Condition is stable. Commence Heart inspection."

"_It was as if I was the dream…and everything around me was…reality…"_

The people watched behind the protective glass, observing the humanoid inside the flower-shaped pod. The rooms were lit in brilliant light that Sora thought he was dreaming again.

But this time, it felt so real.

He was in suspended animation. Inside the pod, water began to rise. Power went through the complicated wires connected to the circlet around his head. When the pod was filled with water, green light was turned on from the bottom. However, Sora did not dream of the beach in the Destiny Islands. He squirmed and let out a cry, screaming, but only bubbles came out. He began to flail like he was drowning, desperate to get out. His movements were trapped in slow motion as he violently moved around, creating currents on the water and slowing his movements.

"Increase power output."

"That…that could damage his Heart, sir."

The man covered in bandages grimly smiled. "It doesn't matter."

The colors in the wires blinked tenfold and electricity seems to spark at the cords. Sora screamed in agony but for those outside, it was a mute television show. The boy repeatedly move, the water putting up a fight against the boy's struggling.

"Nothing?" the man asked.

"Nothing at all, sir. There's no sign of abnormality in his Heart."

"A waste of time, I see. But my system is perfect…"

Yes, that boy had surely mentioned it. The floor and walls have perfect hears. He said it…

…Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

It was late at night when Sora was brought back home, still unconscious. They thanked the men who brought him back and immediately went to his side at the bed.

"Dear, am I…a failure? As a mother?"

"No, honey. You're fine, and Sora is just fine, too."

Sakura caressed her son's forehead. He looked like he was having a bad dream.

* * *

Sora doesn't understand why Olette gave him a brand new alarm clock. Okay, so she gave him the annoying new clock a week ago so he could wake up in his adulthood exam, but after that, it's pretty useless. Goodbye Olette-given alarm clock. Today is his last day…

"_Geez, am I gonna die or something?_"

Sora wore the clothes his mom left to his bed. They were brand new and…didn't exactly shouted "Sora". Sora was an outgoing kind of guy who would take out clothes that would stand out. His parents think it's silly, but they're parents; they didn't understand how cool baggy shorts and epic gloves were.

His mom left behind his something that was similar, but not the same. It was black and white, mostly white. Sora would have preferred it the other way around, but it was what his mom left him. She left two jackets behind, so Sora picked both. He didn't want to be forced to pick. There was a chance his dad picked one of them.

He first tucked in the black sleeveless jacket, zipping it up with a star-like symbol. He took the white one with grey hems on the sleeves, successfully making his top complete. Then for the bottom, replacing his baggy shorts was a dual-colored jeans, where the top was black and past the thighs was gray.

Sora stared at his mirror. It. Was. Hard. To. Breathe. He had two high collars up from the the two jackets, but he looked cool, anyway. It would take some time to get used to it.

After getting dressed up, he jumped downstairs, wearing his brand new sneakers, too. His red ones didn't exactly fit the whole theme his mom set him up in. When he came out, his mom and dad were happily grinning.

His mom insisted that he eat breakfast, but Sora immediately rejected the idea. When last night's failed dinner came in mind, he felt guilty and hoped this wasn't the impact he gave his mom.

His dad gave him a good luck, telling him that they're proud of him and that he'll do well. Simple and quick, just like his father.

"Mom, Dad, I'll come back." He looked away, hoping not to falter. "So…wait for me! I promise!"

* * *

Then the boy ran off, his parents feeling that there's a piece in their hearts crying.

"Lily is moving from point C to point E."

"Lacenlot's adulthood exam, initiating."

A room was covered in darkness. It wasn't very healthy for the eyes, but the people in charge of the adulthood exam had visors on and were managing the system through touch. In front of them lay a keyboard device that had nothing written on it for those with no visors on.

On top of the room were the observers, one of which was a man covered in red bandages around his face. Only a single eye can be seen. Beside him was a huge man with a lab coat on and spectacles on his nose bridge.

"Sora is entering Destiny Islands. Observation has initiated."

* * *

Sora had taken the train to Destiny Islands. Hey, if there's one thing he'd like to spend before who-knows-what, it was another day in the beach, just like the old days.

They weren't told what exactly an adulthood exam is, but they just need to wait for it to come. Vague, yea.

When the train stopped, he ran off excitedly, finding the smell of the salty seas too good to be true. He skipped the booth for the armbands for entry, having worn Pence's gift. Food and expenses for the day was _totally_ free.

"_Pence, I love you so much,_" he thought ecstatically.

Sora went to their favorite island: Paopu Island. There were many people gathering at the paopu trees. Some groups had tour guides with them. Sora crossed wooden bridges and past the ship permanently attached to the island where he and Pence pretended to be pirates and Olette was Peter Pan. The pirates ended up jumping out of the plank. It didn't end well for Sora and Pence.

Sora spotted the cave where they people were allowed to carve anything on. It _wasn't_ cheap.

But today, it was for free! Yay!

Sora climbed down the stairs and headed to the cave hidden near the small waterfall. He went to search for their carvings last summer, smiling curiously at the other writings and drawings carved on the walls. He found their spot near the bottom and saw their cartoon faces on top of a giant word: FWENDZ. Sora laughed aloud at the memory.

Olette drew Sora, Sora drew Pence, Pence drew Olette. Only Olette looked decent enough not to get laughed out. Sora's hair was out of proportion and Pence lost his eyes.

Sora took a stone and began carving something near their mouths. The surface of the wall was soft like charcoal. He managed to draw their favorite cold treat, sea-salt ice cream underneath each head. Sora decided to cheat this time by adding another detail. He drew a rough circle on top of their heads and positioned the hands to 6 o'clock.

When this was done, he stepped back and admired his worked. The longer he looked at it, the harder it was to control his emotions.

* * *

"Sora has reached a sector. Adulthood exam is initiating."

* * *

Sora suddenly made a double-take at the door by the end of the cave. It was a new feature, it seems.

"Wonder where this goes," he said, hoping to open the door but his hands did not feel any knob. "Aw, it's still unfinished…"

Unbeknownst to Sora, a man was hiding in the shadows ever since he came. He merged well with the darkness, wearing nothing but a cloak. He peered at the boy, curious at what he was talking of. What he saw surprised him…and by the way the redhead was grinning, he likes surprises.

"So, he can see it…"

"SORA OF TWILIGHT TOWN"

Sora whirled around and suddenly found himself surrounded by faceless men in navy suit. He backed off, but was cornered. What was going on?!

"Who, who are you people?" He tried to sound brave. He had no weapons to defend himself…

"YOUR ADULTHOOT EXAM WILL BEGIN"

"My…"

Darkness clouded Sora's vision. He desperately looked around. He didn't like this adulthood exam at all.

"WALK FORWARD, SORA OF TWILIGHT TOWN"

Sora obeyed with hesitance. There was nothing to talk on. He experimentally stepped the tip of his toe forward and found a surface there after all. He began taking his steps, his senses finally calming down. He was looking from left to right, but there was really nothing to see.

"THIS IS YOUR HEART"

Sora saw a glimmering giant heart suspended into space, twirling like a toy model.

"This is…my heart?" Sora had to ask, because he was met again with a surprise. Deep inside though, he knew this was it – he never had the idea that his heart was full of…spikes. It wasn't the perfect heart shape, but Sora liked those pieces of heart forced into his. They were filling up spaces and he felt the rush of memories of the exchange of treasures in the past.

"Wow," he gasped, laughing. "My heart…"

"FIRST STEP OF ADULTHOOD EXAM: REPLACING THE IMPERFECT HEART"

"WHAT?!" Sora demanded angrily. Replace his heart? "With what? What are you going to do…TO MY HEART?"

"LET YOUR HEART BE REFORMED. AN IMPERFECT HEART, TIES TO THE PAST, WILL ONLY BE A HINDRANCE TO ADULTS. LET GO OF YOUR HEART"

Sora moved in front of his heart and spread his arms defensively. "You won't touch my heart! I don't care about being an adult! MY HEART IS MINE! It's precious to me! My precious-"

"LET GO OF YOUR HEART"

Sora slowly turned his head and saw the visual of his heart blinking. The edges were becoming dim, swallowed by the darkness. Cold pain like ice stabbed him in the chest. He dropped to his knees, clenching his heart and trying to utter the same words through gritted teeth.

He held tightly to his chest that his knuckles whitened. He won't let go…

His family, his friends, his life...

His heart.

"NO!" Sora cried out. The darkness suddenly exploded in red light. Sora's jaw dropped open, wondering if he were in Twilight Town again and this whole madness with the adulthood exam was just a dream. When the said light was warm and cackling, he realized this was not a dream. This was reality. And now his environment was burning. He was in hell.

…time to do that quick repentance before you die (he may still be forgiven!). Number 1 guilty pleasure: Olette, sorry for peeking in your underwear drawer…

"Hang on, kid!"

Sora heard a voice from behind but an arm grabbed him by the waist like he was baggage. Sora 'eep-ed' when the said person threw something and caused fire everywhere.

Oh god, he was being taken in by Satan.

Sora bowed his head, sealed his eyes shut, crossed his fingers, and muttered a mantra.

"NOOO, I STILL DON'T WANT TO LET GO OF MY HEART!" Sora yelled adamantly, hoping this would ease the slow and painful death. "I REGRET NOTHING!"

"Kid, _chill_!"

Sora looked up to his captor and saw…INDEED THE IMAGE OF SATAN.

"I'M SORRY I FAILED MOM, DAD!"

"Dude—"

Sora covered his ears and shut his eyes as he heard gunshots ricocheting over something metal. Sora could only guess the only thing that defended themselves for the gunshots were the weapons that Satan used to caused fire.

"Tsk, gotta go!"

Sora's captor then opened a door into thin air. Sora stared at the darkness inside the door.

Well, plain darkness seems better than darkness burning in flames.

Then Sora remembered his captor. Oh fu—

* * *

"A Nobody has showed up! It's an Elite, fire element!"

"A Nobody?" the scientist repeated, shocked. "And an Elite?"

The man in bandages simply nodded, though he had a grim expression in his face.

"It's been confirmed! Sora's adulthood exam has been interrupted by the Elite Nobody!"

"Sora?" the man in bandages said. "Don't tell me…"

* * *

"LET GO OF ME!" Sora cried out. They just passed through the dark portal, reintroduced to the environment called life. He thought it was straight to hell.

Sora flailed his fists helplessly, but Satan only laughed.

"That ain't gonna hurt me."

Sora growled. "You. Won't. Take. My. HEART!" He swung an arm at Satan and to his surprise Satan was hit, enough for him to fly a good five feet away. Sora was also surprised that he was actually fifteen feet above the ground.

"AHH!"

Okay, continuing with the repentance before death.

Sora crossed his arms in front of his face, feeling force starting to break him apart. He heard something chiming and suddenly realized the weight on his right hand. Sora dared to open his eyes to look.

The image of the sky he'd last see was blurring but the weird key he was holding, big as a sword, was clear as the day (the day he would die, by the way). He was quite fascinated by the key, but seconds later, light flared from below. Sora glanced at the doomed ground despite the hundred times he told himself not to and saw a distinct form of a keyhole in the blazing wave of light. A thread shot out of the keyhole and connected to the giant key he was holding.

"He-hey!" Sora panicked when his arm moved on its own. When it stopped, his senses saw that he was pointing at the keyhole with the giant key he conjured.

Sora was tired of getting consumed of things, but the light that consumed him was warm and really reminded him of summer vacation.

* * *

"Someone had just Awakened past MCP!"

"A Nobody!" the man in bandages grumbled, glowering.

"…It's been confirmed! Sora has Awakened and he's a Nobody! Securing type…Elite Nobody, light element!"

"What…?" Despite the bandages, it can be seen that the man was shaking. "A Keyblade warrior…send the Claymore to the Room of Awakening! If the Nobody escapes, active self-destruction!"

The scientist beside the man gasped. "No, Ansem! You're going to destroy all children in Twilight Town!"

Ansem sneered. "Children? They're still a bunch of Heartless getting a human form by growing an imperfect Heart. Inside the pods I designed, they only take a tentative form. They're not children or humans at all…and Nobodies are…_monsters_."

* * *

"_I've been having…"_

"_Is any of these…"_

"…_these weird thoughts…"_

"_Real…?"_

"…_lately…"_

"_Or not…?"_

"_It's as if I'm the dream and everything around me was...reality."_

"Ugh…" Sora groaned. He was sprawled on the ground and he felt unable to move. He was drenched from head to toe and the floor was marble…and cold. Everything was white…cool, did he end up in heaven, after all?

Heaven sounded good and all, but heaven did not include guns. Sora may feel like he was in a vegetative state and his brain is a mess from all that happened today, but he knew those were guns he heard just now.

He stayed sprawled on the ground, unable to find the strength to move. He saw shoes. They were everywhere…said shoes were worn by people, people carrying…guns.

He was surrounded by armed men.

Sora tried to say something but nothing came out. Why was he feeling so weak? Where was he? Why did everything feel so…real?

"Sora of Twilight Town. You've failed the adulthood exam."

"_Okay, bad news. What's the good news?_"

"Claymore would have to erase your existence."

"…_that's not good news."_

Sora's fingers twitched. When it did, he realized he still held on the giant key. When the armed men realized this, they fired at him.

Sora's mind did not process the events well. He wasn't feeling anything. Everything was so new and strange. Worst of all, Satan just followed him and saved his butt.

"Stand up, or are you a shitty shrimp?"

"…bad combination of words, man…"

But Sora was actually standing up, thanks to his giant key. He managed to make Satan smile. Sora remembered what his mom taught him when he was young. 'Every time Satan smiles, a puppy dies'. Sora felt sorry for the puppy. He liked puppies.

"Run!" But then there was a loud crash from where Sora was. "Okay, running's not an option. This ain't gonna be smooth!"

For the second time, Sora was taken like baggage and a portal looked was opening up. The portal's edges disappeared though and Satan looked displeased.

"Damn, it's too strong—"

Gunshots were fired at them. Sora saw a wall of flame melt the bullets easily. Satan began running to who-knows-where. Sora could only take in his surroundings just as much as he paid attention to math (he didn't). After passing some strange pods, Sora's heart squeezed tightly. For a moment there, he thought he saw Pence and Olette asleep in those pods…

They ran past different rooms filled with computers. After a while, his captor climbed a long stretch of stairs. Sora knew it was blasphemy, but he was amazed by Satan's stamina. Upstairs was a room full of books (aka library), which Satan probably hates because he burned everything to the ground. Sora felt he deserved to be stabbed. He has a common link with Satan.

They ran outside, which turned out to be a mansion. They past through people in lab coats, but Sora didn't get to see their faces. He looked away and tried to close his ears when those people were burned with no mercy, wailing. They left the mansion with the Claymores pursuing them. Satan burnt a line between them to delay them as they headed deeper in the forest.

"Kid, this is reality."

Sora just panted. He was still tired, even though he can make a billion of jokes and sarcastic remarks in his head right now. He was still holding onto the key, too. Sora almost dropped it, not because Satan decided to jump ten feet above the ground, but with what Sora saw.

He saw Twilight Town.

"How…"

"That's not the town you know. You and the others lived a life in the digital form of Twilight Town since 'birth'. This one's the real one, and none of your friends are here…nor would they remember."

"You're lying!"

Satan no longer responded. He saw tears in the boy's eyes. Sora had no idea where they came from and why something in him was convinced with what Satan said.

They arrived at a white ship with black markings. It was a vehicle. Sora was placed down on one of the seats. Satan tucked him in a seatbelt though Satan himself remained free from the safety device while he initiated the engines. Well, Sora thought if Satan had an accident, he would be waking up back to his room.

"…I want to go home…"

"They're going to kill you."

Sora's heavy eyelids were collapsing. He was probably delusional, because he laughed weakly. It was painful to laugh, though physically, aside from the fatigue, he was completely unharmed. Sora breathed in heavily and finally let out one of his sarcasms out.

"Yea, right…"

He fell asleep with a frown on his face and tears spilling out of his eyes.

His words were bitter, and Sora hated bitterness.


End file.
